all the Palace Lady Venus and her waiting maids tending upon me But every one departed after I was in Bed saving only Venus the Goddess of Love with whom I lay all night CAP. XII The Authour declareth how the wandring Knight and such like Voluptuous livers in this world transgress the ten Commandements of Almighty God underwritten SO long as the Knight continued in this pestilent Palace of Worldly Desire following his own Fantasie by Vain Voluptuousness enticed he did no other thing but play the tool Dance Leap Sing Eat Drink Hawk Hunt Fish hunt Whores and such like as did the Prodigal Son and lead a dissolutè life for the space of eleven dayes which signifies a marvellous mystery and unfortunate For the Number Eleven by the Opinion of Christian Doctors and Philosophers is a wicked and unlucky number for that the number ten signifies the ten Commandements of God the number of Eleven which is one more prophesieth and sore-telleth the transgression of them Wherefore the Knight having remained eleven dayes in the Palace grievously transgressing the will of God letting loose the bridle of his own affections without refraining any of them if you note well the premises and see into the senuel you shall find that such as live after the order of the Palace of worldly Felicity being given to follow the pomp and Pride of the World with the Pleasures and Voluptuousness of the same and seem willing to lead that life without purpose of change nay rather triumphing and rejoycing therein I say truly that such are Transgressors of Gods Lawes Contrariwise such as account themselves here to he but Pilgrims and fix their affection on the other World where Iesus Christ raigneth in glory reputing this life an exile and destring to be delivered out of it to the end they may enter in at the Pallace of the heavenly King shall enjoy the fulness and happiness thereof As this World yields a great deal of Temporal goods and Transitory Honour so doth it also make an end of them Now these that use these gifts to the glory of God are Gods people Contrariwise those that do use them voluptuously are Vessels of the Devil and transgressours of the Lawes of God as may appear by the Ten Commandements which I have set down for that purpose Wherein all Worldlings may perceive that by living voluptuously they grievously transgress Gods Laws to their own destruction And as the Ten Commandements were written in two Tables even so are they divided into two parts The first comprehends four concerning the Love of God The second six touching the love of your Neighbour And therefore who so loseth his Life Worldling-like and fixeth his Felicity in Voluptuousness is doubtless a Vessel of the Devil and loveth not God nor his Neighbour because he transgresseth the Law of God which followeth in due and convenient order I Am the Lord thy God thou shalt have none other Gods but me 2. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above nor in the Earth beneath nor in the Water under the Earth Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them For I the Load thy God am a jealous God and vifit the Sins of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my commandements 3. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in Vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in Vain 4. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day six dayes shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy Son and thy Daughter thy Man servant thy Maid servant thy cattel and the stranger that is within thy Gates for in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that therein is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it 5. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee 6. Thou shalt do no murther 7. Thou shalt not commit Adultery 8. Thou shalt not steal 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour 10. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife nor his servant nor his Maid nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is his This is the Law of God by which you may perceive that such as live in the Pallace of Worldly Voluptuousness are Transgressours of the same Contrariwise such as seek for Heavenly Felicity are Gods beloved and they shall have the possession thereof Now hearken what hapned unto the Knight having lived eleven dayes in the Pallace of Vain and worldly Felicity CAP. XIII The Knight rode to recreate himself and view the warrens and Forrests which were about the pallace of worldly Felicity anon he saw it sink suddenly into the Earth and perceived himself fast in the mire up to the saddle AFter I had sojourned eleven dayes in the Pallace transgressing Gods Commandements and leading a beastly life I desired to ride into the Forrests thereabouts not intending to give over my Voluptuous life but for my pleasure because I was weary of making good chear For although Worldlings delight to eat drink dance leap sing ride run and such like yet notwithstanding they cannot continue in this trade of Life without intermingling it with some other recreation wherefore they often leave by constraint their pastimes though they intend to return thereto again They do not utterly abandon them but break off for a season to procure them better appetite I then being weary was willing to see the Warrens and other pleasures which when my governess Folly understood she told the same to Lady Voluptuousness and she consented to Hunt or Hawk with me whereof I was right glad Then I apparelled my self in Hunters guise instead of my Helmet a Hat full of Feathers for mine Armour an Horn and I leapt upon Temerity my Horse Voluptuousness had a Hobby Folly a Ienner and the other Ladies every one of them a Palfrey There came the Huntsmen with Grey-hounds and Mastives hooping hollowing and galloping together some one way some another The dogs were at a beck up starts the Hare the cry was pleasant to hear But in the midst of all our pastime I chanced to breathe my Horse and turning towards the Palace of Worldly Felicity suddenly I saw it stuk into the Earth and every Body therein But what lamentable Out-cries they made you that have reason are to judge then did there arise amongst us a Whirl-wind with an Earth-quake which set us all asunder in so much that I and my Horse sunk in mire up to the Saddle all this while my mistress Folly
compassion upon thee Where be the Worldlings the would not be sorry for their sins Where are they become Are they not condemned to everlasting torment in Hell fire O think then that sin doth greatly offend God Think what punishment God hath ordained for sin which makes Man an Enemy to God and a friend to the Devil Secondly think that at this present time thou art in Gods favour by the means of his Grace who made thee a child of God and an Heir of Heaven by Hope so that now thy Conscience is quiet Think what good Consolation thou hast received by devour prayer think what spiritual instructions Gods Grace hath given to thee think all the pleasures of the World are mingled with Sorrow think that this World shall pass away with all the pomps and pleasures of the same think that thy present Estate is the high way to Heaven and so shalt thou keep perseverance Thirdly think that the just judgment of God is to come which is to the good to give Heaven and to the evill Hell Think thou must dye and that at thy death thou shalt not receive so good consolation as thou hast had of Vertue and Gods grace Think that at thy death thou must leave behind thee Wife Children Goods and Mony whether thou do good or evill Think that thou must go to a Region unknown and to a place where thou hast never been and if thou be sound to have dyed in sin without repentance the Devils will attend to take thy damned Soul and will carry it into the dungeon of Darkness there to seel eternal torments But if thou be sound with Perseverance in the Palace of Vertue millions of Angels will go before thee and with great joy will bring thee to heaven O think upon the just judgment of God to come when every one shall be judged according to his deeds For God fahoureth neither Kings Princes nor People high nor low rich nor poor without respect of persons be will chuse the good and condemn the evil at the day of doom when we must appear personally without excuse or exception before him then every man must be his own Atturney when the just Iudge at that day will shew himself terrible to the Perverse which have followed Voluptuousness and have not heartily repented but will be gentle mercifull and good unto those that have been sorry for their offences O think what torments the un-repentant shall suffer both in body and soul perpetually whereas all such as have persevered in goodness to the end shall receive joy and the fulness of God and of Heaven In such sort to persevere in goodness to the end do thine utter endeavour and thou shalt see that God will be ready with his grace to arm thee with constancy in thy Christian purpose CAP. XI A protestation which Good Understanding taught the Knight to make every day for the avoiding of temptations and how he ought to humble himself before God and what he should ask in his prayer MY Son alwayes I wish thee to keep perseverance with thee by whom thou mayest avoid temptations which would induce thee to sin and force thee to forsake the true Faith and also to transgress the holy Commandements of Almighty God This to avoid I wish thee every day to repeat the promises which thou hast made to God in thy Baptism which follow thus in effect O Most high most excellent and holy Lord God I protest that I will live and dye in the true Catholike and Apostolike faith revealed in thy holy Word and that I will do my utmost endravour to keep thy holy Commandements which heretofore I have wilfully and carelessy transgressed wherefore I am sorry and do heartily repent me for the breach of them and in token thereof I make my Confession saying I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord which was conceived by the holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary Sufferred under Pontius Pylate Was crucified dead and buryed He descended into Hell The third day he rose again from the dead He ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the holy Ghost The holy Catholick Church The communion of Saints The forgiveness of sinnes The resurrection of the body And the life everlasting Amen Then say Lord God give me grace most heartily I beseech thee without doubting to confess and believe the articles of this my Christian Faith and in the same to persevere to the end And so rehearse the Ten Commandements of Almighty God which are these The same which God spake in the xx Chapter of Exodus saying I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the Land of Ægypt out of the house of Bondage 1. Thou shalt have none other Gods but me 2. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in Heaven above nor in the Earth beneath nor in the water under the Earth Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God and visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my commandements 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine 4. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day six dayes shalt thou labour and doe all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy son and thy daughter thy man servant thy maid servant thy catell and the stranger that is within thy gates for in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that therein is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it 5. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee 6. Thou shalt do no murther 7. Thou shalt not commit Adultery 8. Thou shalt not steal 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour 10. Thou shalt not cover thy Neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours wife nor his servant nor his maide nor his ox nor his Asse nor any thing that is his Then considering the tenour of that which thou hast said crave grace at Gods hands to walk after his will using the same prayer which Christ taught thee and saying Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass
greatly gloried of the gifts which were in me vaunting my self to be more rich more Wise more Strong more Hardy more Gracious and in all respects better then I was Many times I boasted of mine imperfections as of Drunkenness Lechery and such like Then on went my Buckler of shamelesness which being about my shoulders I blushed not to commit any villany I led the life of an Insider rather than a Christian Vnshamefully I despised both God and Man nothing regarding mine own honour renown or salvation Then I mounted on Temerity my Horse with a Lance in my hand called Hope of long life O deceitfull Lance more rotten then a Reed How many proper youths have trusted unto thee hoping to have been safe and assured and were daily deceived This Lance once being possessed by me I entertained all vices it ever bindred me from embracing Repentance perswading me in this manner Thou art young make merry whiles thou mayest for when thou art old all play and pastime will be past then it will be time enough for thee to repent Being thus governed by Folly I thought neither of God nor the Devill of Life nor Death of Heaven nor Hell but lived at my pleasure doing what I delighted in At last Folly apparelled her self lightly with a cloak of Feathers and mounted upon a Iennet and opening her Feathers and Wings with the wind away she flew and I also at a wild adventure set the Spurs to my Horse and away we went both Thus you see that Folly is my Guide Temerity my Horse Now the first that shall repent this Voyage must needs be my self as you may evidently judge and gather before hand CHAP. V. Folly upon the way sheweth the Wandring Knight many of her ancient proceedings and how many great and Noble personages she had governed AFter we were so far passed upon our way that we had lest the sight of my House I called to my remembrance the promise which Dame Folly had made me in the morning namely that she would tell me of her exploits past and what People she had governed And thus with flattering phrase I began My good Mistriss my loving Lady my Heart my Aoy my Life my Lust my Counsell my Hope my Soveraign good I desire thee most earnestly if it please thee to let me understand thine ancient proceedings and to rehearse what People thou hast governed how they were ruled lead conducted and counselled Mine exploits quoth Folly are innumerable Ten dayes are not enough to repeat halfe of them Nevertheless to accomplish thy request and to shorten the tediousness of the way I will tell thee of the mest Principallest First the World and I was together and because I found no Man in the World I ascended up into Heaven and there assaulted the excellentest Angel of all the whole company called Lucifer who at my present arrivall entertained and received me for his Governess and so did many more of his Coequals By my counsell he advanced himself to be fellow mate with God for the which presumption both he and his were thrust out of Heaven and thrown headlong into Hell That was the first of my exploits Shortly after God made Man and of his rib fashioned Woman these two were Husband and Wife with them both I had much ado because they were full of Wisdome and Reason I used the help and subtilty of a Serpent to tempt the woman being the weaker who with his deceitfull words won her to eat of the Apple which God forbad to be eaten But after she had eaten it in the presence of her Husband because he feared her sadness he did eat also to fulfill her desire and lust wherein they both committed great folly for the which they were deprived of Innocency of Gods Grace and Glory yea they were banished the place appointed by God for them to dwell in and made with all their posterity subject to eternall death This was my second principall exploit Then began my raign in the World where I governed a number of Foolâ— I governed Cain the first born both of his Father and Mother By my counsell he killed his good brother Abel the Innocent I governed the greated Gyants that ever were of the seed of Man as the Daughters of Cain and the Sons of Seth I made them trust in their own strength not only touching fears of war but I caused them also to contemne the â—ord of God and the knowledge of the same I perswaded them to use their Liberty and to live according to their Lust in Lechery and all other abominations without regard of the uprightness of nature honesty or fear of God When Noe had preached forty years space of the last destruction of the World these obstinate Gyants being nuzzeled in all wickedness of life detestably turned all his Admonitions and Sermons to mockery whereat God was wroth and sent a great Floud which drowned all living Creatures saving Noe and his three Sons Sem Ham and Japhet with their wives Then I thought to have lost my raign in world but in short space they encreased wonderfully Then I counselled them to build an high Tower which might reach as high as Heaven that in despight of God they might save themselves if again be meant to drown the world But God confounded their device and where before all the world spake in one Language he divided them so that the Lower remained unfinished for the Builders understood not each others speech Then the Posterity of Noah were dispersed throughout the world and I reigned amongst them every where counselling many Nations to forsake the knowledge of God and to worship the Host of Heaven as the Sun the Moon the Stars the Planets the Fire the water the Air and the Earth and to make Idols and honour them in the likenesse of Men of Beasts and Birds and to worship them so that the true knowledge of God should be proper but unto one People descended from the loynes of Abraham and they are the Iewes Then I demanded of Folly how Idolatry entred the world and where she took place first My Son quoth she understand that Idolatry hath been brought into the world by my means For Idolatry took her first Original and beginning in Chaldea in the City of Babylon and in the Region or Country of the Assyrians in the raign of Ninus the third King which was the Son of Bell Bell of Nimroth Nimroth of Chus Chus of Cham Cham of Noe so that Ninus the third King of Babylon was the first Man that did ordain Temples and set up Altars to Sacrifice upon unto his Father Bell and to Juno his Mother First he fashioned their standing Images and set them in the middest of the City of Babylon and that was the first beginning of Idolatry other Neighbours and Nations did as much the Aegyptians made the like by Osiris sirnamed Jupiter the true Son of Cham and of Rhea The same Osiris after his death was esteemed of the Aegyptians
for his Vertue to be a God so that the matter by my Counsell quoth Folly turned to Idolatry For they offered Sacrifice unto him and honoured him in form of an Ox or a Calfe the like also did the Children of Israel in the Desarts with their Idol which afterwards was named Seraphis But as yet France and Germany were not infected with Idolatry howbeit I did my Endeavour to make it more Vniversall and ceased not till that shortly after this Pestilence had taken Root For the above-named Ninus Sonne of Bell King of Babylon married Semiramis that wonderfull Woman who as it is written devised that all the Male Children should be gelded of her Body begat he one Sonne named Ninus the Second and by another wise he had another Sonne called Trabeta who by Right of Succession should have enjoyed the Crown of Babylon but that his Mother-in-Law kept him from it and took the Government and rule unto her self and kept it in the behalfe of her young Sonne Ninus Trabeta then fearing his Step-Mother fled from Babylon and after long travell he arrived in France not farr from the River of Rhene where he founded a City and called it Treves which is yet a very ancient City At that time was Gallica Belgica and all the Country about it which we call Low Almaine first Infected and Poysoned with Idolatrry which was 1947 Years before the Incarnation of Iesus Christ There Trabeta by my Counsell made the Picture of his Grand-father Bell the Sonne of Nimroth the great Gyant and first Saturn of the Babylonians to be Worshipped in the City of Treves But afterward Bavo who founded the City Pelges otherwise called Bayvoy in Hainot had taken by Force the City of Treves and victoriously brought to Bavoy all the Treasure of Treves and their Idols wherewith also he brought his own Idols from Phrygia By this means the errour of Idolatry was more authorised For by my counsell he built with the spoyles of his conquest seven marvellous and mighty Temples in his City which had seven doors according to the seven Planets they had also a thousand Towers every one an hundred cubits high and eighteen foot broad By what I have related quoth Folly you may perceive that the Babylonians the Aegyptians the Phrygians the French-men and the Germains followed my counsell but as for other Nations they were not as yet infected with Idolatry For the good Patriarch Noah otherwise called Janus having dwelt in Italy fourscore and two years and being 950 years old 370 years after the Floud he dyed before the Incarnation 1976 years This good Man was lamented and bewayled through all the World generally but chiefly of the Italians then called Lanigenes and of the Armenians over whom be first raigned These People presently after they knew of Noahs death they honoured him as a holy Man For in those dayes all holy Men were counted Gods as it is often mentioned in the holy Scripture I have said ye are Gods and ye all are children of the most high And which is more they made him Temples and Altars as now adayes Idolaters do unto the Saints of Heaven I quoth Folly made the simple people assure themselves that his Soul was removed into some of the Heavenly bodies for the which they called him the Sun and the seen of the World the Father of Gods the greater and lesser the God of Peace Iustice and Holinesse the driver away of evill things and the preserver of all good things Again they called his Successours Janus Geminus Quadifrons Enotrius Ogiges Vertumnus Jupiter Optimus Maximus Then I perswaded the People to offer Sacrifice unto him as unto God by which deed they became all Idolaters for if they had esteemed him no better then a holy Man they had not finned in that for indeed he was a holy Man Mark what Austine saith in his tenth Book of the City of God It is not lawfull saith he to offer any sacrifice to any Saint be it Man or Angel but only to God After the destruction of Troy Aeneas came into Italy bringing with him his own Idols and the Gods of Troy hereupon Idolatry took force and encreased more and more I think quoth Folly that this which I have told thee already may suffice to declare how Idolatry entred the world first Thou best heard also how I governed Angels and Nations Now thou shalt understand how I have ruled and ordered particular persons After the Floud I first ruled Cham Noahs Son who being wholly given to the Magicall Art obtained and had the name of Zoroaster He hated his Father because he loved his own brother better then him in revenge whereof upon a day he found his Father Noah drunk lying fast asleep upon the ground unhonestly he discovered his Fathers Privities and by my counsell he presumed to touch those his secret parts and enchanted them by his Magicall Art so that ever after for want of ability he could not joyne issue with any woman to beget Children His Father being angry thereat abandoned him for a season After that he became the first King and Saturn of Aegypt insomuch as the holy Scriptures called Cham the first King of Aegypt Again by my counsell he trayned up his People according to his own Nature in all villany and filthiness openly affirming that Men might lawfully use and have to do with their own Daughters and Sisters as was the custome before the Floud and also to commit many other unlawfull deeds which I am ashamed to declare by the which doctrine natural Virginity was oftentimes violently assaulted and ravished Then my friend Cham went into Italy and Vsurped the Realm to himself And whereas other Princes of his Linage in Germany Spain and France gave good examples to their Subjects instructing them in good and godly Lawes he contrariwise spoyled all the Youths in Italy corrupting them with all kinds of Vices as Leachery Theft Mutther Poysoning and Enchantment whereof he himself was the first Inventer as all Historiographers hold Opinion But when his good Father Noah understood of it he came into Italy and hunted him from thence If I should write of all the evill deeds of Cham it would be a weighty piece of work and the matter would seem monstrous But at the last he conveyed himself over among the Bactrians a People inhabiting towards the Indians where by his Enchantment the People became his Subjects and he raigned over them with great Force and Power Yet at the last he was Vanquished and Slain in Battel by Ninus King of Babylon which descended of his race by his Son Chus Thus quoth Folly I lost my Friend Cham sirnamed Zoroaster Saturn of Aegypt the common Enemy of God and Man and one of the most perverse and untowardest Tyrants that ever was in the World I governed Bell the second Ring of Babylon and his Sonne Ninus into whese heads I put a disordinate raging so that they desired to rule alone in the World
love the Goods of this World are well ordered and by Love the Goods of this World are contemned and by Love the secrets of God are revealed Saint John saith That God is Love or Charity whereby no doubt he meaneth the Father the Son and the holy Ghost the three persons in Trinity God the Father is Charity God the Son is Charity and God the holy Ghost is charity This Love or Charity requireth in the same such likely things namely love and charity by the which as by some spiritual affinity thou art joyned unto God which Love also boldly commeth unto God and familiarly speaketh unto him without any doubt or fear He that loveth not shall lose his Life but He that loveth alwayes lifteth his eyes to God whom be loveth whom he desireth on whom he museth in whom he is refreshed and by whom he is preserved such a debour and religious soul doth so sing so say read so dispose all his business and so circumspectly foreseeth all things as if God were ever present with Him as doubtless in spirit he is The man in whose soul the love of God is lodged so prayeth as if God were personally present with Him The Love of Charity awaketh the soul when she is asleep it puts him in mind of His Salvation it softneth and moysteneth the Heart Charity or Love setteth the cold Heart on fire Love maketh the froward soul gentle Love chaseth away sin Love keepeth the affections of the flesh and blood under Love amendeth Iewd Mens manners Love reneweth the Spirit Love bridleth the light motions of wanton youth all this worketh Love or Charity where she is present Contrariwise where Love or Charity is absent there the Soul doth Languish and waxeth cold even as a Caldron of water doth when the fire is taken from under it and raked abroad Charity is the only thing whereby the soul boldly approacheth unto End constantly cleaveth unto him and familiarly speaketh unto him The Soul that loveth God cannot but think and talk of God insomuch that it hateth all ungodly things Who so will know God must love God the more that one loves God the more be growes in the knowledge of God To read to write and to study of God yieldeth no true knowledge of God without Love In vian do we read in Vain do we talli in Vain do we preach in Vain do we pray to God if we do not love God the love of God ingendreth the love of thine own Soul and maketh it attentive alwayes to God God loves to be loved again and when he loveth he requireth nothing but love happy therefore is he that loveth God The Soul which loveth God rejecteth his own effections being earnestly given to Gods love The Soul that loveth hath no fear the soul that loveth not is ever in fear The Soul that loveth is carryed by promises and drawn by desires unto Heaven the soul that hath in it the presence of Gods love is tickled with joy and with ravishing leapeth up to Heaven having by coutemplation exceeding great joyfulness Love breeds familiarity with God familiarity breeds boldness with God boldness breeds the taste of God and Taste breedeth an hunger after God If I should declare all the excellency of Love or Charity the time would fail me and mine Ability in that behalfe would not suffice But let this stand for a conclusion that the Soul which is touched with the love of God cannot desire any thing contrary to God but ever after it hath received any taste of Sin it cryeth out and saith with the Prophet Psal 14. O Lord God like as the Hart desireth the Fountains of water even so long I after thee Well then Sir Knight lift up thy Soul and remember the great Love and Charity of God and his manisold benefits bestowed upon thee that by them thy Heart being enlightned thou maist encrease and go â—orâ— and day by day in doing good works to the glorifying of God 〈◊〉 delighteth in the same according as it is said Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorisie God in Heaven Thus much touching these three spiritual Vertues now come we to the four morall Vertues CAP. VII The description of the four moral Vertues Prudence Justice Fortitude and Temperance By these sour Marral Vertues Man liveth orderly in this martalise Saint Hierom saith that the Christian man by these 〈◊〉 liveth well in this mortality and by them after death cometh to everlasting Life Prudence knoweth the good we should do and evil we should leave Justice doth good Temperance leaveth the evill Fortitude is constant without losing courage in adversity or waring proud in prosperity Prudence teacheth man how to approach unto God Fortitude and Temperance how to govern himself Justice how to use his Neighbour These are the four things which Satan shooteth at to destroy the Soul By Prudence which is the rule of right Reason we govern our selves wisely we order our affairs discreetly doing nothing but Right and reason In Prudence consisteth Reason Knowledge Fore-sight Aptness to give good Counsell Plato saith That Prudence is the Governess of all Moral Vertues shewing how we should understand and use the rest For as Faith informeth us what we should hope after and what we ought to love even so Prudence teacheth us how we should use Justice Fortitude and Temperance Aristotle saith that it is impossible but a prudant Man should be good If he mean moral goodness it is most true for a wise Man doth nothing but that which is lawfull But yet without Love or Charity Prudence is a Vertue no more meritorious then Faith without Love and Charity But if the prudent man love God with all his heart it is unpossible but that he should do good and consequently be good Justice is a Vertue used in two sorts sometimes it is a general Vertue and comprehends in her self all Vertue as the man that Ilbeth well and justiy is therefore called good and Iustice otherwise is understood a particular Vertue called Justice distributive yeelding to every one that which unto him belongeth This Vertue Justice distributive is convenient for all men and principally for Emperours Kings and such as have the Administration and Governments of Common-wealths to the end that they may yeeld to every one their right defending the innocent and punishing the offender doing justice and right according to equity as well to little as great and to poor as rich Many have justice painted in their Houses and yet have wrongfull dealing lodged in their hearts Many a one hath Christ in their mouth but the Devil in their minde He that will be acceptable to GOD he must be just in word upright in deed undefiled in thought Fortitude is a vertue unto which belongs a magnisicent courage not fearing any thing but unlawful actions He that hath this vertue keeps himself constant in adversity and waxeth not proud in prosoerity Fortitude gives a man